The Flood Hub

Scheme Phases

Phase 1

Phase 1 Kendal Town linear flood defences (Construction commencing summer 2020 to spring 2023)

• The proposed new flood defences extend from Kentrigg on the River Kent to Mint Bridge on the River Mint and will protect the North Kendal industrial areas, the centre of Kendal and Helsington Mills.
• It will involve the construction of approximately 6km of linear flood defences using a combination of walls and embankments (including 14 flood gates). Some footpaths or roads will be raised and certain lengths of existing walls will be improved. The height of the linear flood defences will typically range from 0.3m to 1.5m. They will vary in height throughout the town and will not be continuous as the defences will tie in to existing high ground in some locations.
• A new pumping station located at Gooseholme on the Stock Beck outfall will pump water from Stock Beck, reducing the flood risk from the drainage system.
• 5 hectares of habitat and recreational space will be improved at Beezon Fields and Jubilee Fields.
• 3km of footpath improvements will enable partner projects including cycle ways and footbridges to be developed. Improvements to riverside recreational space will meet the latest standard for accessibility.
• The installation of 14 new flood gates will maintain access to the riverside. Over 3,666 new trees will be planted including 70 trees over 5m high and 280 trees over 4m high to help mitigate for the loss of 545 which we continue to try and reduce in number.

→ Kendal landscape plans PDF

Image of the Kendal landscape plans PDF

Proposed Phase 2

Burneside, Staveley & Ings

• 1km of linear flood defences in Burneside with an average height of 0.8m, and 0.9km of linear flood defences in Staveley and Ings with an average height of 1.2m. This includes flood routing improvements such as raised kerbs and localised land raising, and improving the flow of water where the River Gowan joins the River Kent.

Proposed Phase 3

Upper catchment flood management

• Two proposed flood storage areas on the River Kent located upstream of Kendal in Kentrigg (volume around 1.7million m³) and upstream of Staveley in Kentmere (1.1 million m³) will limit and control the volume of flood water flowing through Kendal during a flood which will enable more efficient drainage of surface water.
• A 2km long upper catchment drain from Stock Beck East and North into the River Mint is being developed to reduce the flood risk of flooding from Stock Beck in the residential area of Sandylands.
• Additional improvements to the Stock Beck drainage system.

Funding

Kendal Phase 1 is receiving £5.34 million of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.  The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for ERDF. Established by the European Union, ERDF funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses and local community regenerations and create jobs. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding

More information on the ERDF for Kendal can be found in this document:

→ European Regional Development Funding (ERDF)

Planning

The planning application for Phase 1 was approved unanimously by the South Lakeland District Council Planning Committee in March 2019. Click here for more details on the planning application. The contractor was appointed in July 2019 and is working on the detailed design of the scheme.

The planning permission granted came with a number of planning conditions that the Environment Agency need to discharge before the scheme can begin construction. As well as developing the detailed design of the scheme, they are also working on detailed Landscape Plans, and Biodiversity Monitoring and Construction Environment Management Plans in order to satisfactorily discharge these conditions set by South Lakeland District Council. For more details on these conditions, download this document:

→ Planning Conditions

Information and plans to support the submission of the planning applications for the proposed Phases 2 and 3 are currently being worked on, aiming for these to be submitted in autumn 2020. There will be opportunities in early summer 2020 for residents, businesses and local interest groups to help shape these parts of the scheme ahead of the planning application submissions.

Aesthetics & Finishes

Phase 1 of the Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme will consist of 6km of a combination of earth embankments and flood walls which include integrated glass panels at key viewpoints. The scheme will also deliver a new pumping station to reduce flood risk from Stock Beck. To maintain public access points, 14 flood gates are included in the flood walls that will be closed in advance of high river levels.

What will the scheme look like?

The scheme will be built in a sensitive way to ensure walls and embankments are finished to a standard in keeping and acceptable to the local area. Sections of glass panels will be incorporated on Gooseholme, Aynam Road and Waterside as locations of local importance, where views of the river are part of the local landscape and need to be maintained.

Waterside before glass panels installed

Visualisation of Waterside after glass panels installed

Kendal has a wealth of heritage which can be seen throughout the conservation area and is displayed in a range of different styles and finishes. As part of the detailed design of the scheme, the Environment Agency are developing options for finishes which will be delivered to ensure the scheme fits into the existing landscape.

Currently the Environment Agency are looking at the stone finish to the walls, coping stones and other interesting features that the scheme will interact with – some examples of these are shown in the download below:

→ Aesthetics options powerpoint Kendal

Environment

The Environment Agency’s role is to protect people and environment from flooding and a changing climate. Like any scheme, they face many challenges in delivering an infrastructure project, often in built up areas with an established environment. They have worked really hard alongside the local community to evaluate the options to deliver a scheme that is technically feasible, economically viable, environmentally sustainable and acceptable to local people.

A team of environmental specialists have been engaged throughout, informing the design from an environmental perspective and providing technical knowledge on environmental surveys, tree removal requirements and planting specifications. This team will continue to provide advisory support throughout the project.

Phase 1 of the Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme has so far provided opportunities to deliver the following benefits:

An overview of the environmental aspects of the scheme is provided on this page. For further information, download these documents:

→ Environmental enhancements PDF

→ Environment & Biodiversity Key Facts July 2020

Kendal’s wildlife

Kendal has a vibrant environment and the River Kent provides a central corridor for habitat and wildlife. The Environment Agency has undertaken extensive environmental surveys which have identified a variety of different protected species such as otters, white-clawed crayfish, bats and kingfishers. The wildlife will be protected from construction disturbance by careful planning and assessment of activities.

Kendal wildlife (L-R) European otter, Kingfisher, White-clawed crayfish, Bats (common and pipestrelles)

Tree removal and planting

As a consequence of the construction works, a number of trees will need to be removed throughout Kendal which will unfortunately impact habitat for wildlife as well as changing the visual landscape. The Environment Agency has started to engage with landowners to discuss potential tree losses and access arrangements that may be required.

The Environment Agency will continue to assess all options to try and ensure any tree removal is kept to a minimum. They have already amended the flood scheme alignments where they can to reduce the number of tree losses from 779 to 545, but will continue to review and assess a number of trees on an individual basis throughout the project.

The Environment Agency have an extensive tree planting programme which will take place in key locations throughout the scheme and wider across the Kent Catchment. They will be planting at least 3,666 trees with further opportunities to work with local environmental groups and schools to collect seeds for planting and nurturing on an annual programme. Their aspiration is that as a community, many more trees will start to be grown locally for planting in future years.

For more information on tree removal and the Environment Agency’s approach, please see the ‘Tree Removal and our approach’ section of the Environmental enhancements document, or take a look at these documents:

→ Tree Removal Retention Plans PDF

→ Landscape masterplan PDF

Habitat improvement

Two habitat improvement areas, Beezon Fields and Mintsfeet, have been identified which will create an opportunity to bring together enhanced habitat for wildlife with better community access and usability of these areas. Click on the images below to expand, or download this document for more information:

→ Landscape masterplan PDF

Mintsfeet (left) and Beezon Fields (right) indicative layouts

The Environment Agency is also keen to help pollinators such as bees, butterflies and many other insects, with the aim that the legacy of the Kendal scheme will result in an increase in habitat and food plants for these valuable insects.

Getting involved

The Environment Agency would like to involve the local community in their tree planting. In autumn 2019 they held a tree seed planting event where local residents helped to plant local tree seeds in pots which are now being nurtured ready to be planted once they are established. It is hoped that this activity will be carried out annually. The Environment Agency will be holding tree planting events in the future, and information on these will be advertised in the ‘News & Events’ section of this page at the time.

Property Flood Resistance & Resilience

Property flood resistance and resilience measures can be an effective means of reducing the impact of flooding. Delivered at a property level, resistance and resilience measures can be installed independently or together as a complete package. These measures are often referred to overall as property flood resilience (PFR). To find out more about PFR, visit the Household page here.

Illustration to show some of the PFR options available for homes and businesses

Download this poster here.

The Environment Agency would always encourage that any property located within a flood risk area incorporates resilience and resistance measures. These measures do provide a level of protection and/or the ability to recover much quicker should flood water enter. If you are interested in integrating these measures into your property you can contact Flood Resilience on CLfloodresilience@environment-agency.gov.uk or you can contact JT Atkinson based in Penrith who provide information, advice and a range of products, via their website.

For further information please take a look at the Property Flood Resilience ebook here which contains a selection of case studies to showcase how resistance and resilience measures can be implemented in different types and styles of properties.

Public Art

Public art opportunities

The Kendal Flood Risk Management scheme is providing an opportunity to explore how public art can be integrated into the scheme design and wider within the local environment for the benefit of the local community, visitors to the town and the local environment.

The aim is to not only create art but to also improve the connectivity within the town by creating new walking/trail routes. All of the public art opportunities will be drawn from engagement activity that will delivered as part of community based workshops. These workshops will be open to everyone and will be led by local artist Lana Grindley.

For further information on the public art aspect of the scheme, download this document:

→ Public Art Opportunities PDF

What are the opportunities?

Some initial ideas are outlined in the image below. From these, some may be developed through local consultation and put in place.

For a visual overview of the initial ideas, download this document:

→ Art Strategy Map

Kendal’s Art Strategy initial ideas

Kendal’s past and future theme

This theme aims to showcase Kendal’s wealth of heritage and prominence in the local landscape, all while promoting a sustainable future for the younger generations to come. This theme will be based around two arts trails:

• Kendal’s Past History Trail – to celebrate Kendal’s history quarters
• Kendal’s Future Trail – promoting a sustainable future for younger generations

Getting involved

Community engagement and inclusion in developing these opportunities is fundamental to the acceptability, usability and delivery within public spaces. The Environment Agency is keen to involve anyone who is interested in providing ideas, developing concepts or can support delivery around the town. If you would like to be involved please email KendalFRMS@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Natural flood management (NFM) involves using various techniques to restore or mimic natural functions of rivers, floodplains and the wider catchment. It aims to store water in the catchment and slow the rate at which water runs off the landscape into rivers, to help reduce flood risk to communities downstream. NFM can also be referred to as ‘working with natural processes’, ‘slow the flow’, ‘sustainable land management’ or ‘upstream management’.

It is important that NFM measures are used as part of a combination of techniques that work together to provide flood mitigation, rather than relying on individual features. They should be used alongside existing ‘hard’ defences, as increasing the height of a wall or embankment alone does not always provide the best or most sustainable long-term solution.

The Environment Agency are working closely with landowners and partner organisations to gather their expert local knowledge and advice to identify opportunities where Natural Flood Management measures can be delivered.

This is part of a pilot project to test and improve the Environment Agency’s understanding of how utilizing natural processes can reduce the extent of flooding to communities across the Kent Catchment, as well as shaping how they fully integrate these measures across the County in the future.

For more information on Natural Flood Management visit the online Evidence Directory www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-with-natural-processes-to- reduce-flood-risk

Information guides can also be found on the Landowner page of this website.

Click on the images below to enlarge.

These Key Facts documents give you a quick and informative overview of the features and benefits that the Kendal flood scheme will provide, along with key dates.

Click to download:

• Kendal Tree Appraisal and Landscape Enhancements Key Facts January 2021
• Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme Key Facts December 2020
• Kendal Surface Water and Groundwater Key Facts Sept 2020
• Kendal Gravel Management Key Facts Sept 2020
• Kendal Scheme Delivery Sequence Key Facts August 2020
• Kendal Planning Conditions Key Facts August 2020
• Kendal Scheme Aesthetics & Finishes July 2020
• Kendal Environment & Biodiversity Key Facts July 2020
• Kendal Natural Flood Management Key Facts June 2020
• Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme Key Facts June 2020

Example of Key Facts document

• Kent Catchment Flood Risk Management Scheme Update June 2020
• Covid-19 and impacts to delivery of Flood Risk Management Schemes May 2020
• Kent Catchment Flood Risk Management Scheme Update Jan 2020
• Kent Catchment Flood Risk Management Scheme Update June 2019
• River Kent Catchment Update Future Flood Risk Management Sep 2018

Kendal:

• Introduction to Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme
• Kendal Future Flood Risk Management Update newsletter (Including key questions and answers for Phase 1) Feb 2019
• Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme Engagement Update Feb 2019
• Kendal Future Flood Risk Management Update newsletter Jan 2019
• Kendal Future Flood Risk Management Update newsletter Dec 2018
• River Kent Catchment Future Flood Risk Management Update newsletter Sep 2018
• North Kendal Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Scheme information newsletter Aug 2018
• Kendal Future Flood Risk Management newsletter Jan 2018

Burneside, Staveley and Ings:

• Burneside Staveley and Ings Newsletter Nov 2020
• Burneside, Staveley and Ings and upstream measures newsletter July 2020
• Ecology data gathering Burneside Staveley and Ings July 2020
• Burneside newsletter Jan 2018
• Staveley and Ings Future Flood Risk Management Jan 2018

News

• Installation of Sample Flood Panels Begins in Kendal
• South Lakeland District Council Approval for Tree Replacement

St Georges Walk Road Closure

On Monday 2nd November, the Environment Agency will be undertaking some ground investigation work at St Georges Walk for a 4-week period. These investigation works will determine the location of existing services, including a combined sewer network, to help inform the scheme design in this area.

In order to safely undertake the work, they require the closure of St Georges Road for the duration of the works, and parking will therefore be restricted. A temporary diversion will be in place as can be seen in the drawing provided.

For more information and to view the road closure area, download this document here.

Events

If you have any queries, please contact: KendalFRMS@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Twitter: @EnvAgencyNW